


Weight of the World

by MrMissMrsRandom



Category: Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Awkward bonding, Gen, Let this trio bond dammit, Platonically, bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 05:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13139610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMissMrsRandom/pseuds/MrMissMrsRandom
Summary: Seliph and Ares decide to take Leif out drinking.





	Weight of the World

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Underage Drinking.   
> Hello capbrolet! Hope you enjoy this fic! This was my first time writing from Leif's perspective, so it was a treat to further explore his and Ares's characters. Hope you enjoy!

It wasn’t too much of a surprise to Leif when Seliph came to talk to him a few days after the liberation army had successfully took back Peruluke from the empire and asked if he was free for the evening. When they had the chance, he and his cousin would take trips to the market place whenever they came to a new castle. Most of the time, it was to gather information, supplies, and duel in the arena, but this time was different. 

Leif could already tell it would be an unusual outing when Ares was waiting for them at dusk by the castle gate. He was out of his usual battle outfit, but still had Mystletainn sheathed and resting at his side. Despite the stories of how all of their fathers had been great friends, Leif had to admit that Ares still intimidated him. Nanna told him that he was kind, but Leif could only remember how Ares cut down foes on the battlefield with incredible ease. 

Seliph’s words dispersed his questions. “Good evening, Ares. Glad you could make it.” 

The Black Knight shrugged. “It’s been awhile, and since the people are pretty thankful for what we did, might as well take the opportunity while we can.” 

“Excuse me, what do you mean by “opportunity?”” Leif asked. Seliph smiled sheepishly. 

“Well, I… asked Ares if he would accompany us to the local tavern.” He answered, and Leif felt even more confused.

“But, I’m, aren’t I not of age?” Leif answered. 

“We just saved this city from the Empire’s clutches. They aren’t going to kick you out because of your baby face.” Ares said bluntly. Leif bristled, but Seliph rested a hand on his shoulder.

“It’ll be my first time as well. Don’t worry if you feel a bit apprehensive.” Seliph said. 

“It’s not that!” Leif raised his voice, before realizing this and trying to right himself. The two were trying to get a rise out of him, and he shouldn’t have reacted so strongly. “I just didn’t expect this would be the reason for our excursion.” 

It was then Ares walked closer, his gaze fixated on Leif as he crossed his arms. “After the campaign in Thracia, the Scion of Light decided you deserved a night to relax. This is the best I could come up with on short notice.”

“Ares, could you not call me that?” Seliph sighed, before turning to smile again at Leif. “I never asked if you drank, but our position here is safe for the moment, so it wouldn’t be too bad if we took time off and relaxed.” 

Leif still felt a bit hesitant about the idea, but then thought about the reasons why the two decided to do this for him. It had only been a few weeks since he had gotten justice for his parents murder, his sister’s kidnapping, the reason for the life he spent running away. Travant was dead, and… to be honest, he didn’t know how he felt about it. “Alright, I’ll have a drink with you two.” 

“Follow me then.” Ares turned around and began to walk, with Seliph and Leif following close behind. There were still a few people out who waved at them as they walked by. Seliph and Leif returned them, but Ares kept moving, as if he hadn’t noticed. Eventually, they reached a door that had a sign with the words “The Wyvern’s Roost” carved into it. There was some paint that had been added to the letters, but it had obviously faded over time. Probably the owner had recently been too preoccupied to touch it up. Ares held the door open for them, and they walked in. 

Though it was now enough into the evening where lanterns would be lit, it appeared to Leif that this place believed that darkness added to the “atmosphere.” The dozen or so patrons scattered around the tavern had faces cloaked in shadow. A few turned to see who had come in, before quickly turning back to their flagons as Ares head moved across the room, save for the bartender who attempted a salute. 

“Your lordships! A pleasure to have you in our fine establishment.” He said this while pouring out three new flagons with liquid. “The first round is on the house, for bringing good business back to this town.” 

“Many thanks.” Seliph replied, smiling as they walked to the counter and took their drinks. It was heavier than Leif had expected, and dark. He sniffed the contents, then his nose wrinkled at the contents. The strongest think he had drunk before was wine, which was usually watered down to make last longer, as Finn taught him and Nanna during their years on the run. After settling down at a free table, Ares began to down his drink with practiced ease, and both Leif and Seliph watched in awe. 

The black knight took a deep exhale after finishing, before noticing that he was being watched. “What?”

“How can you drink so fast?” Leif replied. Ares looked confused at the question, but then thoughtful when Seliph nodded in agreement.

“Back when I was in a mercenary company, part of our weekly bonus was as much booze as we could drink.” Ares replied with a shrug. “They didn’t give us a choice on taking the extra money, at least not to me. I learned how to stomach it,” he then rose his emptied flagon, a gesture that requested more. “Besides, this stuff is twice as good as that swill.” 

That was the first time Leif heard Ares speak of his past life before joining the liberation army, and it did not sounds pleasant. He began sipping his own drink, ignoring the unpleasant aftertaste that coated his tongue. A full flagon was brought to their table, and Ares handed the server a few coins in payment. Leif was now worried that Ares would deplenish his private funds, but he was much slower on his second drink, keeping pace with Leif and Seliph’s own sips. 

“So…” Seliph spoke up, turning to Leif. “How are you?”

Leif was swallowing as the question came up, and he gulped on a pocket of air that made him cough. Ares leaned over and thumped his hand against Leif’s shoulder blades. When he could breathe again, his cheeks were red from exertion and embarrassment. 

“Sorry.” He rasped. 

“Nothing to be sorry about. It’s a taste that takes time to like.” Ares answered simply, then pointing to Seliph. “I thought your idea was to forget our problems.” 

“It is, just…” Seliph sighed, taking another sip of his drink, then grimacing. “I wanted to know if I could help. We’re family, and… I thought that’s what family does.” 

Leif stared at Seliph, unsure how to respond at his forthrightness. His own experiences with family became distant once Finn told him that he was his retainer instead of his father. His images of a mother was not a woman named Ethlyn, but a fierce Master Knight who walked out the door one night to find her actual son, and never returned. Up until this point, family was a collection of ghosts. 

“I don’t know how to feel about it.” Leif confessed. “Part of me is happy to know Altenna is alive and is fighting with us, but there’s this other part me that sees some sort of wall between us that I can never climb over. The man she called father was someone… whose life I took.” 

Leif didn’t feel remorse for doing so- not when Travant had taken so much from him- but that made the distance between him and Altenna all the worse. 

Ares’s and Seliph’s faces grew tense, and the former downed the remainder of his second flagon. 

“Look,” Ares leaned forward towards Leif. “It’s really, really hard to let go of anger that you carried since you can remember. I know that better than anyone. Even when the cause is gone, it fucks with you, a lot.” 

He raised his arm again for another flagon. Seliph took hold of his arm. Ares glared at him, but Seliph remained firm. He sighed.

“If I talk anymore, I’m gonna need it to loosen my tongue.” Ares replied. The flagon came, and despite looking wary, Seliph allowed its contents to go down Ares throat. When he finished, he floundered slightly in his seat, but then was able to focus back on Leif. “I’m not… saying I know what to do,” he took a moment to cover his mouth and burp before continuing. “But the best advice I can give is, like… fuck, talk to your sister, Leif. You might not like it, but that’s gonna at least stop the awkward shit, one way or another.”

“Really? Did that work for you and Seliph?” Leif asked. Both Seliph and Ares looked confused. “Well, when you joined…” Leif trailed off, wondering if he should explain how well known the Black Knight’s bloodlust was for what he had thought was the family of his father’s killer. 

“...I’m not sure, have we, Ares?” Seliph turned to the other man. Ares stared back, before glaring at Leif. 

“I thought... we were talking about your problems?” 

“It would be nice to get an example.” Leif replied. 

“...” Ares raised his hand to ask for more before Seliph pulled it down, his hand now resting on the other man’s wrist. 

“Please.” Seliph said softly. 

“I… I know I don’t hate you.” Ares replied as he looked down at the table. “I don’t think anyone that has talked to you can hate you. You’re too… nice.”

Seliph eyebrows raised, but then smiled, relinquishing Ares’s wrist. “I think you’re nice, too.” Ares snorted at that, but then Seliph looked over at Leif. “That’s why I was so happy that we had a chance to meet. A chance to make things right that our fathers couldn’t. And, I guess make up for lost time.” 

“Come on, prince of light. You’re gonna make me blush.” Ares voice dripped with sarcasm, then his mouth just drooled. It took him a moment to wipe it away. Maybe he had drunk too much in such a short time. Ten minutes later, Leif’s thought was proven right: Ares fell asleep at the table, and both Leif and Seliph didn’t have the strength to take him back all the way to the castle, so then they had to ask for a room. Sheepishly, the tavern keeper said he could only spare one bed. 

Leif wondered if that was true, since the castle town hadn’t yet recovered from Grannvale’s occupation to be necessarily bustling, but Seliph accepted. 

“Just until he gets back on his feet.” Seliph told Leif, though they both suspected they would be staying the night. They tried not to let Ares’s head hit the stair banister a second time on their way to the second floor. Once they had gotten him into the narrow cot provided, they both slumped to the floor, their backs against the bed. It hadn’t been the most uncomfortable place Leif had slept. Not by a long shot. 

“Sorry that this didn’t turn out how you probably expected your first time at a tavern to be.” Seliph replied.

Leif shook his head. “Don’t worry. Actually, this went better than expected.”

“So little faith.” Seliph rolled his eyes.

“I mean it. I was… kind of afraid of you two before this.” Leif admitted. “Not, like, that you would hurt me, or Finn or Nanna. Just, that you wouldn’t think much of me. A prince on the run, the leader of one failed rebellion already.” 

Seliph reached out, resting a hand on Leif’s shoulder. “Neither of us know the pain you’ve had to go through, Leif, what you have sacrificed. We have no room to judge what was considered a right or wrong decision.”

Leif didn’t know if he had ever heard those types of words before now. Everyone had expected him to be greater than what he actually was, and when he was too young to speak for himself, someone did for him be reciting his family name, his lineage, making it seem that was enough. Before he could reply, though, Ares muttered something in his sleep, his head tossing back and forth. He muttered it again, and Leif could pick out the word “mother,” and Ares’s face scrunched up, as if in pain. 

Seliph, closer to the top of the cot, reached out to shake him awake, but then his hand moved up, settling on Ares’s forehead and smoothing his hair. The actioned calmed him, and his breathing evened out again. 

“Edain always did this to help us sleep, when we were having bad dreams.” Seliph whispered, and for a moment, Leif didn’t think his cousin was with them, but somewhere faraway, in a small village that was probably a lot like Fiana, but also not. 

“...I guess we should get some sleep too.” Leif said, setting his head against the side of the mattress. “But, thanks, Seliph. To both of you.” 

Seliph nodded. “Anytime, Leif.” 

His eyes closed after that. He didn’t think he woke up for the rest of the night, but when his eyes opened, his cheek was pressed against the fabric in Ares’s shirt, and he heard Seliph snore into his ear. Shockingly, Leif didn’t mind this. He looked up to find light shining through a window of multi-colored glass, dying the the room in a mix of red, yellow and blue. The colors, for a reason he could not explain, gave him comfort. Leif closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest if only a little bit longer.


End file.
